Device for capping cans.



No. 640,9!3. Pat anted Jan. 9, 1900. J. s. HULL.

DEVICE FOR CAPPING CANS.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

, z INVENTOI? A TTOHNE Y Patented Ian. 9, I900.

J. S. HULL. DEVICE FOR CAPPING CANS.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

/N VENTOI? A TTOHNEY O MIA/525s.- 0 0M 6Z0 WM 0?% Uwrrrzn STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN s. HULL, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DEVICE FOR CAPPING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,913, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed April 11, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Capping Cans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the art of canning provisions, and has especial reference to devices for capping cans; andit consists in certain improvements in construction,which will be fully disclosed in the following specification and claims.

The primary object of this invention is to produce a device that can be used by the fruit or vegetable grower to can the product of his labor and dispense with the cost of transportation and the loss incident to shipping perishable farm or garden products and to provide means to insure against accident in the use of gasolene or other hydrocarbon oil for the heating of the irons used for soldering the caps of the cans.

In the accompanyin drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved device; Fig. 2, a like view of a soldering-iron designed to be attached to the device for soldering the vent-holes in the caps; Fig. 3, a vertical section, partly in side elevation and on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 4 a vertical section, of the air-charging tap.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon, A indicates a reservoir for liquid, such as gasolene or other hydrocarbon oil, surmounted by a reservoir B for compressed air and in communication therewith; O, a cooling-chamber to prevent heating of the liquid by conduction through the soldering-iron support and is connected to the lower end of the fluid-reservoir by screwthreads at a and is provided with perforations Z) in its wall to admit of a free circulation of air, and D a support connected to the lower end of the chamber 0 by screw-threads c on the support and corresponding screw-threads d in the bottom of the chamber and out of direct contact with the liquid-reservoir and secured against rotation by a jam-nut e. The

Serial No. 712,628. (No model.)

support is provided with an ofifset or yoke f to admit of the soldering-iron E being drawn in close to the center of the support for soldering small caps. The soldering-iron is sup ported in the head g of the horizontal bar it, which is slotted att to admit of lateral adjustment of the soldering-iron, and the inner part of the head 9 enters the recess in the offset when the bar 77, and the soldering-iron are drawn in toward the center of the support D to accommodate the iron to various-sized caps and is Lpivotally connected to the yoke by a bolt is to admit of vertical adjustment of the iron to accommodateit to any irregularities on the surface to be soldered, and the I lateral adjustment is effected by a link l, pro vided with a shoulder Z and which is connected to the yoke f by the pivot-bolt lo and the bar it by a bolt m, passing through one end of the link and through the slot '5.

To the lower end of the yoke f is attached a pivot-point at, having a groove 0 in its upper end, through which a cotter-pin 19 passes and admits of a free rotation of the pivotpoint independent of the air and liquid reservoirs, the latter of which is seized by the hand of the operator to manipulate the soldering-iron or the can-capping device.

The liquid-reservoir is charged through the top or upper end of the air-reservoir by removing the tap F and pouring the liquid in through the seat (1 of the tap. The tap is then inserted and the air-reservoir charged with air by the use of a suitable pump (not shown) attached to the branch r of the tap, the valve 3 being withdrawn from its seat t until sufficient air has been introduced, when the valve 8 is closed and the pump detached from the tap.

G is a burner supported upon a pipe a, which is externally screw-threaded and is connected to the liquid-reservoir and admits of adjustment of the burner to suit the position of the soldering-iron and is provided with an orifice '1; to admit the liquid from the reservoir to the burner. The pipe it is provided with suitable stufling-boxes w w to prevent leakage of liquid.

II is a valve-chamber connected to the pipe at and provided with a needle-valve I, having a seat 00 in the lower end of the gas-generator K, for regulating the supply of liquid to the I chamber by inserting the rod M.

The operation of the device is as follows: The burner is ignited in the usual manner, the soldering-iron heated to the required temperature, when the pivot-point is placed in theindentation in the cap, and a piece or several pieces of solder previously laid in the groove in the top of the can, around the cap, are then melted or spread around the seam between the top of the can and the cap by rotating the device on the pivot-point.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device for capping cans, an air-reservoir, a liquid-reservoir adjacent thereto and coin n1 unicatin g therewith and a cooling-chamberbelow the liquid-reservoir; in combination with a support connected to the cooling-chamber out of direct contact with the liquid-reservoir, a soldering-iron connected to the support, and a burner connected to the liquidreservoir.

2. In a device for capping cans, an air-reservoir, aliqnid-reservoir adjacent thereto and communicating therewith and a cooling-chamber open to the atmosphere and connected to the lower end of the liquid-reservoir; in combination with a support connected to the cooling-chamber out of direct contact with the liquid-reservoir, a soldering-iron connected to and adjustable on the support and a burner connected to the liquid-reservoir.

3. In a device for capping cans, an air-reservoir, a liquid-reservoir and a support having an offset or yoke therein; in combination with a slotted bar having a head thereon constructed to enter said offset and pivotally connected to the yoke, a link connected to the slotted bar and to the yoke, a soldering-iron supportedby said bar, and a burner connected to the liquid-reservoir.

4. In a device for capping cans, an air-reservoir, a liquid-reservoir, and a support having an oitset or yoke therein and provided with a pivot-point revoluble therein; in combination with a slotted bar having a head thereon and pivotally connected to the yoke, a link connected to said bar and said yoke, a soldering-iron supported by the bar, and a burner connected to the liquid-reservoir.

5. In a device for capping cans, an air-reservoir, a liquid-reservoir and a soldering-iron; in combination with a burner connected to the liquid-reservoir and laterally adjustable therein, a valve-chamber, a gasgenerator, a tube connecting said valve-chamber and generator, a valve extending through the Valvechamber, and tube and a packing in said tube surrounding the valve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN S. HULL.

Witnesses:

mo. E. TAYLOR, E. S. ADAMS. 

